The present invention relates generally to an aircraft integrated composite joints, and more particularly to an aircraft composite assembly utilizing integrated composite joints for joining contoured structural members.
Aircraft assemblies often rely on components that share low-weight as well as high strength characteristics. Such reliance is often driven as much by efficiency and cost-effectiveness as it is by aircraft performance. It has also driven to the development of new and improved structural materials. One such category of improved structural materials has been the development of composite structural members. These composite structures are often utilized for a variety of aircraft structures including, but not limited to, skins, ribs and spars. Although these structures can provide significant benefits to aircraft design, they can create issues regarding connectivity that must be properly addressed.
Often connectivity of such composite structures requires the use of fasteners and specialized tooling. This can lead undesirably to an increase in cost for production and assembly of the aircraft structure. Additionally, fastener attachment location may require redesign and reengineering of the composite structures in localized areas further adding to the cost and time required for production. Finally, structural modification of the composite structure to accommodate fastener usage, as well as the presence of the fasteners themselves, may unnecessarily add to the weight and complexity of the composite structure in locations where loading or failsafe requirements do not require their presence.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to have a simple and cost-efficient method of attaching composite structures, such as contoured structural members. The method would preferably be implementable onto existing structural member designs such that undesirable increases in tooling and manufacturing costs are not realized. Furthermore, it would be preferable to have a method for joining multiple composite structures that provided a flexible solution capable of utilization on a wide variety of contoured structures without requiring expensive redesign of the contoured structures themselves.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an aircraft composite member with integrated composite joints and method of making same. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aircraft composite assembly with adhesively bonded integrated composite joints.
In accordance with the objects of the present invention, an aircraft composite assembly is provided. The aircraft composite assembly includes a first structural member having at least one slotted flange joint. The at least one slotted flange joint is comprised of a plurality of flange joint plies cured to the first structural member. The aircraft composite assembly further includes a second structural member having at least one tabular flange joint. The at least one tabular flange joint is comprised of a plurality of tabular joint plies cured to the second structural member. The at least one tabular flange joint is positioned within, and bonded to, the at least one slotted flange joint such that the first composite member is affixed to the second structural member.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.